Our History

Old College Ties began in 2010 when founder Madeleine Johnson helped Groton School recreate a varsity crew tie from the 1920s. The ties were an instant hit among local crew teams and clubs. Soon Old College Ties was recreating historic ties for Harvard’s Varsity Organization, traditional clubs, Henley-bound crews, British cricket clubs and military commemorations. Madeleine found a family company in Italy’s silk capital of Como, where skilled workers have been making knitted ties for generations.